- Many of the biggest corporate incentives paid by Michigan under Gretchen Whitmer have yet to produce any jobs
- Many are related to electric vehicles and have been delayed by a slowdown in the industry
- Critics say subsidies are a failure; a state official says ‘these projects are showing continued progress’
Gaining 3,000 new automotive jobs sounded like a victory in 2019 as Gretchen Whitmer closed out her first year as Michigan governor.
“Today’s announcement proves that in Michigan …we’re ready to build, test and deploy the cars of the future,” Whitmer said Dec. 17 as she announced Ford Motor Co.’s plans to expand two of its factories. “Let’s get to work.”
Five years after the fanfare, Ford has received $102.8 million in from three job-growth subsidy awards, but has yet to create a single job, based on state criteria in the subsidy. That’s according to documents reviewed by Bridge Michigan to analyze the success of corporate incentives since Whitmer took office in 2019…